College Days
by swimmer07
Summary: Piper is haunted by past events and tries to escape by going to a small college in southern Indiana. But can she really out run her past? Caution: contains sexual assault. -abandoned-
1. A New Life

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**Chapter 1: A New Life**

Piper Halliwell stood outside of the English building on the University of Evansville campus. She adjusted her backpack and headed into the building, head held high.

The campus or the thought of college life didn't intimidate her. In fact, she was from good old San Francisco, California. Moving from that large, coastal city to this small, landlocked town in Southern Indiana was a big adjustment, but one that needed to be made. San Francisco had just become too much after The Event. Yes, capitol letters were needed. It changed her life so much. Everyone knew her; everyone pitied her. She had to get away. She had to start a new life.

So here she was. Ready to face this new environment with bravery. She headed into her English class and took a seat in the second row. Not to far up front to label her as a teacher's pet, but not far enough back to label her as a slacker.

Other students began filing into the classroom, filling in the seats around her. The English professor walked into the room and began speaking immediately. Piper turned on her cassette recorder and began taking moments.

_Piper Halliwell, this is your new life._

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Leo Wyatt was loving this. He was finally in college after taking two years off. He was already one of the most well known people on campus. Both his mother and father were alumni from here. He even had some of the professors his parents had.

Such as his English professor. He sat in the back row, throwing wads of paper at the back of his friend's head. Darryl Morris, a hard working student, was his high-school friend and college roommate. Darryl turned around and gave him a dirty look before returning his attention back to the professor. Darryl was a B average student. He worked for his grade too. Unlike Leo who could fool around in class and still pull an A with easy. He was just smart like that.

Professor Monix droned on and Leo settled back into his seat. This was going to be a kick-ass year.

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Piper dropped her book bag on the floor and flopped onto her unmade bed. She shared her dorm with two other girls, Shelia McKinley and Kim Barnes. After two days with these girls, Piper could tell she and Kim were like oil and water.

Shelia, on the other hand, was turning out to be a great person. She was in Piper's math class and her English class. She hadn't realized Shelia was in her class until the day before.

"Hey, Piper," Shelia said, bounding into the room. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"There is going to be this awesome party at one of the houses just off of campus."

"So…?"

"So? It's a perfect opportunity to meet some hot guys. Come on, it'll be great."

"I don't know," she said looking at her book bag. "I have a lot of work to do."

"Come on, Piper. It's one night. I assure you you're A+ is not going to drop if you have one night of fun," she said, flopping on the bed next to her. "Besides, what if you find your true love tonight," she said, with a fake sigh of love. "What if he finds you and sweeps you off your feet after a romantic evening under the moonlight…"

"All right! I'll go if you stop your terrifying daydream of romance."

"Terrifying? Why is it terrifying?"

"It never happens like that. Love at first sight? Look what it did to Romeo and Juliet. I so do not want to end up like that. And if any guys swept me off my feet on the first night, I better have been drunk."

"Piper," Shelia slightly scolded underneath her laughter. "You are such a pessimist."

"I'm not pessimistic, I'm just realistic."

"Isn't that what I said?"

Shelia laughed and threw a pillow at her. "Come on, Halliwell. We are going to make you beautiful."


	2. The First Party

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**Chapter 2: The First Party**

Well, Shelia was right about two things. It was a party, and there were lots of cute guys. Only problem was that they all seemed to be taken. Kim was here, hanging on the arm of some gorgeous guy with green eyes. He really didn't seem all that interested in her. He was talking to some of his friends and completely ignoring her. Piper was happy to see Kim wasn't the center of attention for once. _She_, on the other hand, clearly didn't like it and stormed off into the other direction. Piper couldn't help but laugh. Maybe this party wouldn't be so bad after all.

The only single guy in the room, it seemed, was standing by Shelia's side, talking animatedly. Piper stepped aside, giving them so privacy, if that were possible in this crowed room. Now with Shelia talking to that guy, she felt more alone than ever.

Piper wondered around the house, trying to escape the excessively loud, noisy beat of the music. A few people she recognized from her classes said hello, but no one seemed liked they wanted to strike up a conversation with her.

Knowing she was out of place, Piper decided it would be best if she just went back to the dorm and work on her homework.

She was on her way to tell Shelia good-bye when she heard an argument break out. The moment she recognized Kim's voice, she stopped to listen.

"Get the hell off of me," the guy with green eyes said.

"What did you say?" Kim asked, appalled.

"Stop hanging on me. If I wanted someone to follow me, I'd get a puppy." Kim didn't even reply. She stood there, mouth hanging wide open. "Who invited you anyway?"

"You did," she pointed out.

"No, I didn't."

"You handed me a flyer."

"Yeah, to you and two hundred other people on campus."

"Well, you know what…"

He obviously either knew what or didn't care because he turned around and bumped right into Piper.

And spilled his drink all over her in the process. Piper stood frozen as the cold liquid ran down the front of her favorite black top. People started laughing.

"Oh my god. I am so sorry," he said, trying to wipe her shirt of with a napkin.

"I'm fine," she said, snatching the napkin from him.

"I really am sorry."

"Yeah, whatever," she said and walked away to find Shelia.

She was still talking to the guy she had met earlier.

"Piper, did you hear that argument… oh my god, what happened to you?" she asked when she saw Piper's wet shirt.

"Some jerk Kim was arguing with spilled it on me."

"Hey," the mocha-colored skinned man said. "That jerk is my best friend."

"Sorry," Piper said, not really meaning it. All she wanted to go was back to the dorm and shower. "I'm going to go."

"Alright. I'll go with you."

"No," Piper protested when she saw the guy's face fall. "You stay here. I walk across campus by myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm from San Francisco. I can handle myself."

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She walked in the dark deepness of the night, holding her wet shirt away from her body. From the smell she guessed it was beer, but she couldn't be sure.

From somewhere behind her she heard a twig snap. She whirled around but saw nothing. "Hello?" she called out but no one answered. _Must have been a squirrel in a tree or something_, she reasoned with herself.

She continued walking but stopped when she heard footsteps. The footsteps stopped barely a second after her. She twirled around, expecting to see someone, but only saw a figure quickly hide behind a tree. "Hello?" she cried out, fear apparent in her voice.

There was once again no answer and she took off running. She ran without looking back, her breaths coming faster and faster. She didn't stop until she had safely shut herself in her dorm room. She leaned against the door, trying to catch her breath.

Someone had been out there. Someone had been following her.

She slid down to the floor, thankful she was safely in her dorm room.

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He loved to hear terror in her voice. She deserved it. She should be terrified every moment of everyday. He would make sure of it. He would make every day a living hell as she did his.


	3. Not His Type

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**Chapter 3: Not His Type**

Leo walked into his English class, trying not to let his headache take over. He had a little too much to drink last night.

The first thing he noticed was the girl he spilt his drink on last night sitting next to the girl, Shelia, he thought her name was, that Darryl talked to last night.

Deciding to apologize for his clumsiness, he did something he never did before. He sat in the front of the classroom.

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Piper and Shelia sat next to each other in English class the next day. The professor walked in and began lecturing immediately. They began taking notes, not paying attention too much else.

That's why Piper practically jumped out of her seat when a masculine voice said, "I'm really sorry about last night."

Piper turned to see the guy with green eyes. "Sure you are," she said, turning her attention back to the professor.

"No, I really am. I'm even willing to make it up to you."

"Sorry. I'm not your type." She really wasn't sorry.

"Type? How do you know my type?"

"Blonde, self centered… oh, can't forget the implants."

Shelia, sitting next to her, let out a laugh. The professor glared at her and she returned to taking notes.

"I see. I take it you don't like Kim."

"No, I don't."

"I don't either."

"You made that clear last night. _Before_ you spilled you drink on me."

"I said I was sorry. So why don't you want to go out with me?"

"Mr. Wyatt?" the professor asked.

"Yeah?"

"The answer, please."

"What was the question?

"There was no question. Now if you don't mind, could you let those two ladies reject you _after_ my class? Just because I had you father doesn't mean I'm going to give you a break."

"Yes, sir," Leo said with a mock salute.

Professor Monix just shook his head and returned to lecturing.

Leo turned back to Piper. "So how about that date?"

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Piper and Shelia walked back to their dorm, Leo in tow. "How come you won't go out with me?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Why?"

"I'm engaged," she said.

Leo stopped dead in his tracks. "Are you serious?"

Piper burst out laughing. "No. But it was worth it to see your face."

"I cannot believe you. That was low."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"I rather like it."

"Oh, do you?"

"Yeah," he said, throwing his arm around her. "I do."

Piper didn't even try to move out of his reach.

"Okay," Shelia said as she held the door to their dorm complex open. "You two are weird."

"So how about lunch? We can go get Darryl and make it a double date."

"Okay," Shelia said immediately.

"Sounds good," Piper replied. They were outside the dorm now. "Let me drop off my books and I'll be right out."

"Okay. I'll wait right here."

Piper was barely in the doorway when she bumped into Kim.

"Watch it there, Piper," she barked. "You wouldn't want me to spill my drink on you now."

Piper blushed at her reference to last night.

"Hey Kim," Shelia said, coming to Piper's defense. "I hear the director of the dram department is looking for you."

"Really? Why?" Kim asked, excitement coming into her voice.

"They're looking for self-centered, egotistical blondes with bad implant jobs to dance naked on stage."

Kim just made a face at her. "So? At least I can afford them."

Piper and Shelia made faces at her behind her back as Kim stormed out of the room. She ran into Leo who stood in the doorway.

"Leo," she said, trying to slink an arm around his neck. "I knew you would be back."

He stepped out of her reach. "I'm not here for you. I'm here for Piper." He changed his voice to a high-pitched call. "Are you almost ready, dear?"

"Coming, _honey_," she said, humoring him. She dropped her book bag to the floor and walked out to Leo, who put his arm around her. "See you around, Kim."

"I am so going to get you back," Kim said, her voice dripping with anger. "No takes what's mine."

"Kim, no one can steal something you don't have." Piper turned around and walked out of the room with Leo and Shelia.

"You have another thing coming, Halliwell," Kim said once Piper was out of earshot. "Just wait and see."

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**Author's Notes: I would like to thank all of you for your wonderful reviews; I absolutely love reading them. I would especially like to thank all of those who have read my three latest fics, Unsuspecting Love, Witness, and this one. I really appreciate it.**

**My website is up and functional, I'm just looking for more members. I would really love it if you joined.**

**http:3charmedsisters. hope to see you there!**


	4. Dates with Leo

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**Chapter 4: Dates with Leo**

Piper, Leo, Shelia, and Darryl had fun on their 'date' to the café on campus. Piper didn't really see it as a date. How could going to café on campus with your best friend and two people you hardly know count as a date?

"So, Piper, where is your family from?"

"San Francisco."

"Siblings?"

"Thrtwo. Two sisters. Once older, one younger." No one seemed to notice her almost slip up. "So what about you, Leo?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Only child."

"Good thing," Darryl said. "I don't think his parents could take it if they had two of him." Darryl was rewarded by having a napkin thrown at him by Leo.

"Hey, I was a good student. I wasn't a trouble maker."

Darryl let out a snort. "That's because you weren't there half the time."

"So? I was easily bored. I was so smart I didn't need to be there."

"He is one cocky ass dude," Darryl whispered to Piper loud enough so Leo could hear.

"I already figured that out," Piper said just as loudly.

Leo made faces at them. "Ha ha."

Shelia looked at her watch. "Oh. No! We've been sitting here for two hours!"

"Is that a bad thing?" Darryl asked, a little hurt.

"No," she said with a smile. "I have class in ten minutes. My books are still in the dorm. I should get going."

"I'll go with you," Darryl said, jumping up from his seat.

"All right, but you better be able to run," she said as she headed out of the café and broke into a run once she was out of the door.

Darryl looked at Piper in confusion. "She was on the track team," she told him and understanding washed over his face before he ran after her.

Leo laughed softly at the sight. "So you think he'll catch her?"

"No way in hell."

Piper and Leo both stood up, preparing to leave. "So, um, Piper, would you like to have dinner tonight?"

Piper thought about it as she shouldered her purse. Did she? Leo was arrogant and conceited, yet he seemed to have a gentle side. Did she really want to go on a date with him?

_What can I lose_? _College credit, maybe_, she thought as she remembered she had class at eight. "Sorry. I'd like to, but I have class at eight."

"What time does it end?"

"Nine-thirty."

"Okay then. I'll meet you at your dorm at ten."

"But"

"No argument."

Piper smiled. "At ten."

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It was pitch-black dark at nine-thirty when Piper walked out of the science building and headed back to her dorm. She was somewhat excited about her date with Leo. He was hot, that was for sure. And he seemed to be good-natured. She was also a little nervous. She was starting a new life and she was unsure what to expect.

She heard a noise behind her. She turned around and saw nothing. It was just like the night before. Strange noises, no one there.

"Who's there?" she shouted, dropping her book bag by the tree. No one answered. "Who are you!" No one answered.

She felt something hit her shoulder. "Ow!" she cried in pain. There was another thing thrown at her. "Stop it!" she shouted, but no one replied.

She grabbed her book bag and ran to her dorm as fast as she could.

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Piper stretched her arms as she woke up. Her date with Leo had been great last night. He had taken her to a small deli just off of campus. The owner was a short, stout, friendly Italian man. Since there had been no other customers, he gave them a wink a walked into his office, leaving her and Leo alone.

They had talked about anything and everything. As much as she enjoyed the food and conversation, there was an even better part. The kiss Leo had given her at the door to her dorm was short, but filled with all the sweetness she could imagine.

She opened the door to her room and stepped into the living room that was the center of the three bedrooms and one bathroom. Shelia was already sitting on the couch, watching some horrible soap opera.

"I can't believe you're watching that," Piper said with disgust.

"I can't believe you stayed out so late with Leo."

A smile played at Piper's lips. "Well, what can I say? I had a great time."

"Spill," Shelia ordered. Piper told her everything about the previous event. When Piper described his kiss, she gave a squeal of delight.

"Can I ask you something, Piper?"

"Sure."

"Yesterday, when we were at lunch with Darryl and Leo, you almost said you had three sisters. You did the same thing the day I met you. I've heard you switch between the names Prue, Phoebe, and Paige. That's more than two sisters. Piper, we've become close. You can tell me; you know I won't tell."

Piper hung her head down. "Paige was killed six years ago."

"I am so sorry," she said, her eyes expressing her feelings just as well as her words. "If I had know, I wouldn't have pressed it."

"It's okay. I'm actually glad you asked. It's nice to talk about it once and a while."

"If you ever need to talk," Shelia said, putting her arms around Piper, "I'm here to listen."

"Thanks," Piper said, hugging her back. It surprised her how close she and Shelia had become. Shelia truly was her best friend right now.


	5. Late Night at the Library

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**Chapter 5: Late Night at the Library**

Piper and Leo spent every moment they could together. Piper was afraid her grades would drop if she didn't start studying for classes and spending less time with Leo.

But Leo had the perfect solution. "Meet me at the library half an hour before it closes."

Piper did as he asked. She walked into the library and followed him upstairs to where the historical and adult fiction books were kept.

"Leo, what are we doing?" she asked.

"Shh." He motioned for her to follow him, so she did.

He led her into the women's bathroom. "What are we doing in here?" she asked.

"Hiding," he said and went into a stall. He pulled her in after him so they were squished together.

Piper didn't mind the closeness, but she did mind not knowing what was going on. "What are we doing?"

"We're going to hide here until the guard makes him last rounds. Since he's a guy, he'll just yell into the bathroom. When no one answers, he'll lock up and leave. That leaves us with the library to ourselves."

Piper smiled at him. "Really?"

"Really." He brought her closer and kissed her. "There's about fifteen minutes left until the guard leaves, and I know what we can do until then," he said with a sly smile.

Piper smiled back. "Oh do you?"

Piper and Leo didn't break away until fifteen minutes later when the guard called into the restroom, "Is anybody in there?"

Piper and Leo held still, holding their breaths, hoping the guard wouldn't notice them. The door shut and the guard walked away.

Piper and Leo released their breaths, but not their embrace. "We should go," Piper said, breathless.

Leo nodded his head. "Okay."

With some difficulty they both slid out of the stall. Leo took a flashlight out of his bag and headed out of the bathroom. Piper followed close, holding on to the back of his shirt.

"This is creepy," she whispered as she followed Leo and his flashlight.

"Are you scared," he asked her, amused.

"No, I am not. It's just strange."

Leo stopped and handed her the flashlight. "Go find the books you need." Piper just stood there, flashlight in hand. "Did you want me to go with?" he asked. She nodded her head. "Fine, let's go."

Three hours later, Piper finished her studying and closed the book she was looking in. She let out a huge yawn and laid her head on Leo's shoulder. "I'm tired."

"Come on, let's go." He helped her off the floor. He helped her put the books back on the shelves.

Soon, they were out of the library. "Thanks, Leo. That was very sweet of you."

He put his arm around her. "No problem. I rather enjoyed it. Especially hiding out in the bathroom."

Piper smiled at that. "I liked that too."

They were almost to his dorm room. Her dorm was still on the other side of campus. She really didn't want to walk all the way to her dorm.

She told Leo so.

"Well, you could sleep in my dorm."

"Can I?"

"Sure. Darryl and I are the only ones in out tri, so we have an extra bed."

"But what about your RA?" she asked, wondering about his room attendant. "Won't he turn us in?"

"He's cool. He won't say a word."

Piper was about to ask another question, but Leo pulled her close and kissed her. "You talk too much," he said when the kiss ended.

Piper smiled at him. "So what?"

Leo just shrugged his shoulders and they began to make their way up to his dorm room, never breaking contact. He walked backwards and she had her arms around his neck. A few times Leo stumbled as he made his way up the stairs, almost losing his balance.

It wasn't until the top step that they toppled over on top of each other. Piper squealed with laughter as she fell on top of Leo. She quickly covered her mouth, not wanting to wake Leo's neighbors.

Leo helped her off the ground and she could tell he was struggling to restrain his laughter. It wasn't until they were both in his dorm that they broke out in laughter.

Darryl came out of his room, clad only in boxer shorts. "What's going on?" When he saw Piper, he blushed. "If I knew you were having a sleepover, I would have invited Shelia."

Pier laughed. "She would have loved that. If Kim wasn't our roommate, I would recommend that you go over to our dorm now, but Kim would probably get jealous and turn you in. Stupid bitch."

Leo and Darryl looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"It's just…I've never heard you talk like that."

"She has it coming, believe me."

"Oh, I believe you. Don't you worry about that."

Leo led Piper to the empty bedroom. "Where's the bathroom?" she asked. Leo showed her to the bathroom, located next to his room.

After Piper finished, she didn't go back to the spare room. Instead, she went into Leo's room and laid on the bed with him, holding his hand, as if it was the most natural thing.

Before she knew it, Leo was lying on top of her, kissing her enticingly. His kiss deepened, as if asking _more_?

She kissed him deeper in response. Their clothes seemed dissolved and Piper was lying on her back, Leo gently caressing her. Piper pulled him into a long, deep kiss.

"Are you sure?" he whispered breathlessly.

Piper didn't reply. She enticed him into a kiss filled with all the passion and emotion she felt for him. Leo didn't need any other answer.


	6. Confessions and Invitations

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**Chapter 6: Confessions and Invitations **

Leo couldn't believe what was happening to him. He went to college planning on partying and having lots of girlfriends. But once he met Piper, all that seemed to disappear. He spent all his time with her and didn't mind it. He wasn't sure if he was falling in love with her, but this is as close as he had ever come to love.

Piper and Leo sat on Piper's bed, looking at photos. They were laughing at pictures of her and her sisters as she told him funny stories about them. In truth, he was trying to cheer her up. When he came to her dorm earlier, she had been downcast and melancholy. But the more he talked to her, the more she seemed to perk up.

Leo looked at one of the last pictures in the photo album. "Who's this?" he asked, indicating the smallest girl in the picture. There were two adults who Leo assumed to be her parents with their arms around four children, one of whom he recognized as Piper and the other two as her sisters, Phoebe and Prue. The last girl was a stranger to him.

Piper immediately seemed to close up. She shut the album and put it away on the shelf.

"Piper? Who was it?" She didn't answer his question; instead she sat on the bed, silent. "Come on, Piper. Talk to me."

"It's my sister," she said quietly.

"And…?" Leo asked, not seeing the problem. It was her sister, so what? What was the big deal?

"She was killed six years ago."

Leo was silent for a moment. _Now_ he knew why she didn't want to talk about it. But now that she seemed to begin, she couldn't stop.

"My dad was a stockbroker. I don't know what he did exactly, but he apparently worked with people. One man, Steve Braun, invested his money with my dad. But something happened and Steve ended up losing lots of money. Braun had a wife and daughter in the hospital and I guess the money he lost stopped them from being able to pay the hospital bills. His wife and daughter died." There were now tears streaming down Piper's face. Leo lifted up a hand and wiped them away. "Prue, Phoebe, and I went out shopping one day. Braun broke into our house and killed our father, mother, and Paige. We came home and…" She dissolved into tears.

_Piper, Phoebe, and Prue walked through the door to the manor, laughing. It was the week before school was supposed to start and they had gone out to buy clothes. It was Prue's senior year and Piper's freshman year and both wanted to look good. They had even picked out a couple of outfits for Paige, who wasn't feeling well. Paige was going to be a sixth-grader, a year behind Phoebe. _

_Piper was the first to see the blood on the walls. "Prue," she said and her sister turned to see what she was looking at. _

"_Oh my god." _

_The three sisters ran upstairs. There laid their mother, father, and youngest sister, Paige, all dead. Prue ran to call an ambulance while Phoebe began to scream and Piper ran to Paige, cradling her sister's broken body in the middle of the bloodbath that had become her deathbed. _

"He said he did it because my father didn't deserve to have a wife and daughter after he lost his. Once he was convicted, he said the only thing he regretted was not killing all of his daughters."

Leo tightened his grip on Piper. That threat sent chills down his spine. "Where is Braun now?"

"On death row in San Francisco. I got a letter from my sister today. They set his execution date to be held in four months."

Leo just held her close. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know if there was anything he could say. "Piper…"

"You don't have to say anything, Leo. Listening to me was enough."

He brought her close and kissed her. Their kiss kept deepening until someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Piper and Leo broke away to see Kim standing in the doorway, her arms around some guy.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting," she said, actually sounding apologetic. Piper wondered what she was up to. "This is my boyfriend, Kevin. Kevin, this is Leo and Piper."

"Hi," Kevin said. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Piper and Leo replied in unison, the same thought running through their minds. _What is Kim up to?_

"Kevin just transferred here from California a few weeks ago. Piper, aren't you from California?"

"Yes. Where are you from?"

"San Francisco. You?"

"I'm from San Francisco too."

"Cool. Hey, some of my roommates are throwing a welcome party for me at one of the houses just off campus. You two are invited, if you'd like to come."

Piper and Leo looked at each other, remembering what happened at the last party. Piper didn't feel like having another shirt ruined. "I don't know…" she said cautiously.

"Come on, Piper," Kim pleaded, shocking Piper. "I know I haven't exactly been the best roommate," Piper tried not to laugh at that comment. "But I would really like it if you would come. I feel bad for making fun of you. Shelia's invited too, if she and Darryl want to come."

"Okay," Piper said, wondering what drugs Kim was on. Whatever they were, she needed to be on them more often.

"Great," Kim said cheerfully, a little _too_ cheerfully and walked out of the room.

"Nice meeting you two," Kevin said, following Kim. "See you tonight. Party starts at seven."

Once they were gone, Leo shut the door. "What the hell is she on?"

"I don't know. But she sure needed it a long time ago."

"Are you sure you want to go to this party." He hugged her close. "I know much more interesting things we could be doing." He kissed her.

Piper giggled. "If the party's boring, we'll go have our own fun."

"I hope it's boring then." Leo sat down on the bed and Piper sat on his lap. "I have chemistry lab at six. Why don't I meet you at the party around eight? That should give me enough time to get a good portion of the lab done."

"Sounds good. I'll see you later tonight," she said and kissed him as he got off the bed.

"Make sure you save me a dance," he said.

He had no clue how significant his comment would be.

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**Author's Note: I hope you like it so far! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews, I really love them! **

**Now, for all of you who like Unsuspecting Love (the Piper/Mark part) I have good news for you! I am working on another fic with just the two of them. It won't be up for a while, but I'll let you know when! Thanks.**


	7. A Dangerous Party

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**Chapter 7: A Dangerous Party**

Piper stood in a corner of the room, glass in hand. Shelia and Darryl were dancing and Leo was already twenty minutes late. She guessed his lab ran over, but she was beginning to worry.

She smiled whenever she thought about Leo. He was the last kind of person she expected to see herself with. He was one of those confident, hot guys that most girls chased after. But when Leo was with her, he made her feel like she never had before. She would say he made her feel 'special' but that wasn't quite it.

Piper could see Kim and Kevin across the room. Something had come over Kim, making her this weird, I've-got-to-be-friends-with-everybody kind of person. It was better than having Kim make fun of her all the time, but the sudden change was scary.

Kevin made his way over to Piper, balancing two cups. "Hey," he said over the loud music. "Where's Leo?"

"He's running a little late," she yelled back.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, surprising her.

"No thanks."

He seemed to take her answer with pleasure. He handed her one of the drinks in his hands, and she took a sip. It tasted a little funny almost bitter. "What is this?"

"I have no clue. I don't even know if I want to know." Piper just shrugged her shoulders and took another drink.

"Do you ever get homesick?" he asked.

"Just a little," she replied.

"I have some great pictures of San Francisco, if you want to see them."

Piper eyed him suspiciously. "What about Kim?"

"What about her?"

"Last time I went near a guy she liked, I ended up having a drink spilled on me."

Kevin laughed. "Don't worry. Kim's not the jealous type."

Piper could hold in her laugh.

"I take it you don't like her."

"You could say that."

"Come look at the pictures. It's nice to talk to someone from back home. Nobody else understands my San Francisco humor."

Piper laughed and, against her better judgment, followed him up the stairs. She felt slightly light-headed and didn't like the feeling. He led her to the first bedroom and closed the door and turned on the lights. He drug out some photos and they began looking threw them.

Fifteen minutes later, they were on the bed laughing at various photos. Kevin suddenly stood up and turned off the lights.

Piper got off the bed. "What are you doing?"

Kevin didn't answer. He just advanced on her, causing her to back up until she was against the edge of the bed. "Kevin, what are you doing?"

Once again, he ignored her question. He pushed her on to the bed and pinned her down.

"Get off of me!" she screamed and squirmed beneath his weight, but her struggle was useless. Her one-hundred and ten pound frame was nothing for his two- hundred and thirty pounds.

"Help!" she screamed. "Help me!"

Kevin put a hand over her mouth. "It doesn't matter. No one's going to hear you over the music."

Piper listened to the rhythmic thump of the music and knew he was right. No way anybody would hear her. Kevin began taking off her shirt. "Please, don't," she pleaded as he slipped off her shirt.

"Please, don't," he mocked her.

His mockery sent tears to her eyes. She tried struggling, but it was no use. He was just too big.

"It'll be easier if you don't struggle," he whispered to her as he slipped her pants down to her knees. She tried struggling but he slapped her. "Stupid bitch."

"Please, don't," was all she could say. She couldn't fight him anymore. All her strength seemed to be gone. All she could do was lie there as he did what he wanted. She felt as if she were floating, another person watching this man overpower the smaller woman.

"Please, don't."

But he did.


	8. All alone

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**Chapter 8: All Alone**

Leo was dutifully working on his chemistry lab when he looked at the clock to see it was already nine-fifteen.

Silently cussing, he collected his lab and cleaned up his station. He then sprinted across the campus, silently praying Piper wouldn't be mad.

He arrived at the house, out of breath. Just as he was walking up the driveway, someone came dashing out of the house, bumping right into him. In the few seconds it took him to regain his balance, the figure was already running again.

"Piper!" he called after the figure, instantly recognizing her. "Piper!" he called, giving chase, but gave up after he lost sight of her. _What the hell happened to her_? He wondered. She couldn't possibly be that mad at him, could she?

Shelia soon walked out of the house, Darryl at her side. "What happened to Piper?" she asked him.

"I have no clue. I was going to ask you."

"She was upstairs and came running down. I tried to talk to her but she ignored me."

"I'm worried about her," Leo told her.

"Me too. Let's go talk to her."

Leo followed Shelia, his worry growing greater with every step he took towards Piper.

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Kevin was finally finished with her. He rolled off of her and she immediately put her clothes on. She was crying so hard she could barely find all her clothes. Kevin came towards her and she cowered against the wall. "Please, no."

Kevin gently caressed her cheek. She tried to shrink away from his touch, but there was no room. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" he asked.

Piper shook her head.

"Good," he said, his touch traveling from her cheek down to her throat. He suddenly squeezed tight, cutting off her oxygen. He ran his other hand up her shirt and across her chest. "Because you know what will happen if you do." Piper tried to pry his fingers off her neck, but it was no use. "Besides, it's not like anyone would believe you." He released her neck after giving her a rough kiss and she sagged against the wall.

Piper scurried to put her clothes back on. All she wanted to do was go home. Not to the dorm, but home to San Francisco. She wanted to talk to Prue and Phoebe. They could help. They would make it all better.

She finally had all her clothes on and she ran down the stairs. She could hear Shelia calling to her, but she ignored her friend. She ran out the front door and collided with Leo. She didn't stop to talk to him. She just kept running.

She could hear Leo calling after, but she picked up her speed. She couldn't talk to him now, not after what happened.

She ran into her dorm room and slammed the door closed behind her. She immediately picked up the phone and dialed her home number. It rang and rang until Prue finally picked up.

"Hello?" Prue asked.

Piper couldn't make herself reply. It was hard enough to hold back the tears.

"Piper? Is that you?" she asked, obviously recognizing the number on caller ID.

Piper hung up the phone without saying a word. She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She turned it to scalding hot and hopped in the shower, clothes and all.

She felt dirty, soiled, unclean. She stripped off her clothes, putting them into a pile on the bathroom floor. She poured tons of soap onto a sponge and began to scrub her body.

She scrubbed and scrubbed until her skin was bright red and bleeding in some spots. The only physical findings she had of her attack were the scratches along her abdomen she received while she was trying to struggle her way out of Kevin's grasp and a bruise around her neck from where he tried to strangle her.

Afraid someone would come back to the dorm and see her, she quickly turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She ran to her room, leaving her wet clothes on the bathroom floor.

Once in her room, she changed into pajamas. She huddled in a corner of her room, between the wall and nightstand, arms drawn around her knees as if trying to protect herself. The events in the last hour came rushing over her and she began to cry, sobs racking her body.

Piper stayed in that same postiton all night, until she cried herself to sleep.

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Shelia and Leo entered the dorm room, hoping for any sign of Piper, but seeing none. Shelia walked to Piper's room where the door was closed. She knocked and received no answer. When she turned the knob, she found the door was locked.

Leo came out of the bathroom, a dripping wet outfit in his hands. "This is what she was wearing at the party."

"What the hell is going on?" Shelia asked. She turned and began pounding on the door. "Piper! What the hell is going on? Answer me!"

There was no answer from the other side. "Is she even in there?" Leo asked.

"I don't know. But where else could she be?"

Leo shrugged his shoulders. He took his turn knocking on the door, only more softly than Shelia. "Piper? Are you in there?" There was no reply. "Maybe she changed and went back to the party," Leo suggested, not really believing it.

"Yeah, maybe," Shelia replied emptily.

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Shelia woke up a little late the next morning, only giving herself an hour and a half to shower, eat, and get to English class on time. Before she headed to the bathroom, she looked into Piper's room to see if she was there. Through the wide open door, she could tell Piper was not in her room. The bed was neatly made and her book bag was nowhere to be seen. Shelia assumed she must have gone to class early to meet Leo. She hoped into the shower, not giving it another thought.

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Piper was huddled in her closet. She heard Shelia and Leo pounding on her door last night and knew they would find a way to get into her room if they thought she had locked herself in her room overnight. So she hid her book bag under the bed and hid in the closet, hoping they would assume she went to class.

They must have believed her, because at eight-thirty, no one was there. Shelia and Leo would be in English for the next ninety minutes and Kim was… god only knew where.

Piper got out of her hiding spot and paced around her room. What was she supposed to do? Kevin had _raped_ her. She couldn't go to the police; he would find out and kill her.

Why had she been so stupid? _I never should have gone upstairs with Kevin. If I hadn't, none of this would have happened. _

Piper stopped pacing as a wave of dizziness took over her. She had been feeling dizzy and nauseous ever since that night of the party.

She sat on the floor, against the wall, just as she had that night after the party. He drew her knees to her chest and hugged them, slowly rocking her body back and forth. She tried to hold back the tears, but it was useless. Crying was the only thing she knew what to do. It was the only thing that seemed right. She didn't know what to do. She felt lost, so lost. She wanted her sisters, but they were California. She wanted her mom and dad, but they were dead. She had no one to turn to, no one to a care for her.

She sat on the floor, rocking, and cried harder.


	9. True Best Friend

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**Chapter 9: True Best Friend**

The first thing Leo realized as he walked into professor's Monix's English class was that Piper was not there. Shelia sat in her normal seat, but the seat next to her was empty.

Leo slid into the empty seat. "Where's Piper?" he asked.

Shelia looked at him in surprise. "I thought she was with you."

Leo shook his head. "I haven't seen her since she bolted last night."

"She wasn't in her room this morning and she book bag was gone, so I assumed she was with you." The worry in Shelia's voice was also present in her eyes.

Leo shook his head. "I don't like this. She's not one to miss class."

Shelia looked pensively at him. She then shoved her notebook and cassette recorder towards him. "Here. Take notes for me." She slung her backpack on to her shoulders and walked out of the classroom.

Leo looked down at the notebook like she was nuts. Did Shelia really expect him to take notes? He was about to walk out of the classroom too, but Professor Monix walked in the door. Leo was in deep trouble with the professor as it was; he had no plans to make it worse.

He sat through the class, watching the clock as the seconds slowly ticked by.

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Shelia stormed into the dorm room. She threw her book bag down and immediately walked to Piper's bedroom door, which was now closed. "Piper!" she called, banging on the door. There was no reply, but she could hear muffled sobs.

Now thoroughly worried, Shelia bent down to the lock and took a bobby pin out of her hair. It was one of those simply locks, not much of a barrier. She twisted the bobby pin around until she heard the lock pop.

Shelia slowly opened the door. "Piper?" she called softly. She stepped into the room but did not see her anywhere. She stepped farther into the room and saw her huddled in between the wall and nightstand. She was sobbing so hard the sobs racked her body back and forth.

"Piper! Oh my god, what happened?" Shelia said, going to Piper's side. She placed a hand on Piper's shoulder, but Piper wrenched herself out of her grasp.

Shelia looked at her hand in confusion. "Piper, what happened?" She touched Piper's shoulder again, this time assuring Piper she would never hurt her. "Piper, it's just me. You know I would never hurt you."

Before she knew what was happening, Piper threw her arms around Shelia's neck. Piper was soon sobbing into her shoulder. "He did it, Shelia. He wouldn't stop. I begged and begged, but he did."

Shelia stopped hugging Piper and placed her hands on Piper's forearms. She smoothed the hair away from her face. "Who, honey? Who wouldn't stop?" Shelia made Piper sit on the bed and look at her for the first time. When Piper looked at her, Shelia saw the large, purple welt on her neck. "Piper, what happened? Who did this to you?"

Piper shook her head. She didn't want to drag Shelia into this too.

"Piper, tell me."

"He'll kill me."

"No, he won't. I won't let him near you. Neither will Leo. Just tell who did this."

"Kevin."

"Kim's boyfriend?"

Piper nodded her head.

"He beat you?"

Piper shook her head.

"Then who did? Why did you say Kevin?"

"Rape."

Shelia stopped her thinking process. "What?"

"He raped me," she said, quietly, tears spilling over her eyes.

Shelia didn't know what to say. Was there any thing she would say? She took Piper into her arms and held her close. "Oh, my god. Piper, why didn't you tell me last night?"

Piper shrugged her shoulders. "I was scared. I still am."

Shelia hugged her tighter and felt tears streaming down her own face. How could someone do something so vile, so gruesome, to another human being?

"I swear to you, Piper, I'm going to get that bastard."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Leo left class the second it was over and went directly to Piper's dorm. He knocked on the door. "Piper? It's Leo. Are you there?"

He heard movement behind the door and expected Piper to open the door, but Shelia stepped into the hallway.

"Oh, hi, Leo. Now's not a really good time. Could you stop by later, maybe tomorrow?"

"Can I just talk to Piper for a minute? I'm worried about her."

"She's alive," Shelia said before trying to close the door.

But Leo held the door open with one hand. "What's going on?" He looked into the dorm room and saw Piper lying on the couch. "Piper, are you okay?"

"She's fine," Shelia said, ushering him out of the dorm. "She doesn't feel well. Now how about you stop by later? Okay? Bye." She practically threw him out of the dorm.

Leo stared at the door in confusion. What the hell was all of that about? Shelia practically threw him out of the room. Something wasn't right and he intended to find out what it was.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Piper was lying on the couch as Shelia made a fuss over her. Shelia had forced her to eat and come out of her room for the first time since the party. Piper ate the soup she made and laid down on the couch.

When she heard a knock at the door, she jumped in surprise. What if it was Kevin? What if he found out she talked and was here to kill her?

"Piper? It's Leo. Are you there?"

Shelia looked at Piper and Piper shook her head. She didn't want to talk to him right now. She didn't know if she would be able to, after what happened.

Shelia answered the door and immediately tried to get Leo to leave. But he wasn't going to have any of it. He pushed his way into the room until he saw Piper safely lying on the couch. After that, Shelia was able to force Leo to leave.

She closed the door and sat with Piper on the couch, her head cradled in Shelia's lap. "Your boyfriend really is pushy."

"I know. It's one of the reasons why I love him so much."

After a few moments of silence, Shelia asked, "Are you sure you don't want to go to the police?"

"I'm sure."

Shelia wasn't happy about her decision, but she dealt with it the best she could. "We're going to get him, Piper. I promise."

"I know. You are such a good friend, Shelia. You're my true best friend. I don't know what I would do with out you."

"I'm here for you now, so don't worry about it. You're not going to go through this alone. I'm here with you all the way."


	10. Not Alone

**Okay, all my wonderful readers, I have two more stories in progress. One is a Piper/Leo one with a really interesting first chapter, and the other is a Piper/Mark one. They should be up soon, so I'll let you know when and the titles.**

**I want to thanks you all for your awesome reviews. For those of you who have been asking, Leo will find out sooner or later.**

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**Chapter 10: Not Alone**

Neither Shelia nor Piper were in class the next day. Now Leo was sure something was going on. There was no way in hell both of them would miss class. Something was going on, and he was going to find out what it was.

"Hey, Leo," Darryl said. "Have you seen Shelia? I haven't seen her since she walked out of class yesterday."

"I was just wondering that myself. There's something going on between your girlfriend and mine and I intend to find out what it is. Here," Leo said, thrusting Shelia's and his notebooks at him, "take notes for me and Shelia. I'll talk to you later."

He walked out of the classroom, walking right past Professor Monix. "Mr. Wyatt, where go you think you are going?"

Leo didn't answer. He just kept on walking. He didn't stop until he was at Piper's dorm, knocking on the door. Shelia answered and Leo didn't give her a chance to say anything.

"Shelia, let me talk to her. I don't know what's going on, but I want to know. I care too much for her to let her shut me out. Now let me talk to her."

Shelia nodded and opened the door wider so he could enter the dorm. Leo followed her to Piper's room and the sight before him broke his heart.

Piper, with hair wet as if she just stepped out of the shower, was cowered against the wall, knees drawn to her chest. He wasn't even in the room yet and he could hear her soft weeping.

"I think I'll leave you two alone," Shelia said and walked into her own room.

Leo slowly entered the room and closed the door softly, as not to disturb Piper. She didn't seem to be aware that he was in the room. He walked over to her and squatted down by her.

"Piper," he said softly and reached out a hand.

Piper's head shot up and she moved away from him. "Don't touch me!" she yelled and hugged herself tighter. There was anger in her voice, but more than that was the fear. Leo didn't know what she was so afraid about, but what ever it was had to horrible.

"Piper," Leo said, not attempting to touch her this time. "I'm just trying to help. Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Why! Because he'll kill me, that's why!" The tears were flowing freely down her face. She looked like a frightened, hunted animal, and Leo got the funny feeling that was true. Maybe she was being hunted like an animal.

Leo felt as if he were frozen. _Because he'll kill me_. Her words echoed in his head. "Who? Who would kill you?" he asked, becoming angry. If he could get his hands on whoever threatened her…

Piper just shook her head.

It was all Leo could do from trying to shake the answer out of her. He knew if he did that she probably would never talk to him again. "Piper, you can tell me. I won't let whoever it is hurt you."

"It's a little late for that," she whispered bitterly.

Her words cut into him like a knife. Someone had already hurt her. He swore that he would get whoever it was.

"Piper, who was it? What did they do to you? Did they hit you?"

Piper laughed bitterly. "I wish."

"Then what was it. Please tell me."

Leo took a step towards her and she took a step back. But that didn't stop him. He kept advancing towards her until she was against the wall.

"Please, don't," she whispered as if she was in agony. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists as if she was waiting for someone to hurt her. "Please, don't," was all she would say.

It broke Leo's heart to see her like this. She looked so broken. He took her chin in his hand and made her look him in the eyes. "Piper, look at me." She slowly opened her large, chocolate brown eyes and Leo could see all the pain she was feeling. "Piper, you know you can trust me. You know I love you and would never do anything to hurt you."

His declaration of love was a surprise to him. He hadn't meant to say it, but as he began talking to her, his feelings had poured out of his heart.

Piper seemed just as surprised as he was. She unclenched her fists and let Leo gently touch her face. He traced her face from her hairline down to her chin.

Before she knew what she was doing, Piper threw her arms around Leo's neck. She thought she would never be able to trust another guy, but Leo was sincere, genuinely concerned. His sincerity caused her to cry, but then again, everything these days did.

Leo hugged her back, gently rubbing her back. He still didn't know what was going on, but maybe she would trust him enough to tell him now.

"Piper, please, just tell me what happened."

Leo led her over to the bed and held her hands as she began to tell the story. "You were late to the…party, and I was waiting…"

"I'm sorry about that. I got caught up---"

Piper put a finger to her lips to shut him up. "He came over and handed me a drink. I think there was something in it because I felt dizzy and lightheaded. He convinced me to go upstairs… god, I was so _stupid_… and he turned off the lights…" Piper dissolved into tears.

Leo held her as she cried, hardly believing what she was telling him. "Piper, did he…?"

Piper nodded her head. "He raped me," she said softly, still crying.

Leo froze. It was one thing to think it, but a whole different thing to actually _hear_ it. "Who, Piper? Who?"

"Kevin," she said so softly he had to lean in to hear.

"Kevin? Kim's boyfriend Kevin?"

Piper nodded her head. Leo held her close. He wiped the tears from her eyes but would feel his own face wet with tears. "Piper, I'm going to get him, I swear. I'm going to get that son of a…"

Shelia walked into the room. "How's everything going in here?"

Leo looked at her and stood up. "Stay here with her. I'll be back soon."

"Were are you going?" Shelia asked, bewildered.

"I have business to take care of." He walked out of the room and didn't look back.


	11. Having Words

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**Chapter 11: Having Words**

He walked across the campus and Darryl soon met up with him. "What's wrong? Where are you going?"

He didn't say a word to him. He kept on walking until he was at the house where it, the rape, had happened. He didn't bother to knock or ring the doorbell. He just walked in the house, looking for Kevin.

He found him in the backyard. Kevin was talking to a couple of guys, but Leo didn't care. He walked straight up to Kevin.

And punched him in the face.

Kevin grabbed his face in pain and the other two guys advanced on Leo.

"Leo!" Darryl exclaimed.

"What the hell was that for?" Kevin asked, his voice muffled from the blood.

"You raped her, you son of a bitch!"

"Who?" Darryl asked, completely lost.

Kevin smiled, although it must have made his swollen face hurt. "Are you talking about your little girlfriend?"

Darryl seemed to grasp the situation now. "You raped Piper."

"Try and prove it. Piper won't talk to the police. She knows what will happen."

Leo tried to go for Kevin again, but Darryl held him back and Kevin's two buddies stepped in to intervene.

"You lay another hand on her and I swear to god I will kill you."

Leo turned and walked away. As he did so, he cradled his knuckled in the palm of his other hand. Damn, that had hurt. He could see the swelling already.

As he walked back to Piper's dorm, he told Darryl the whole story. After he finished, Darryl's first question was, "Did she go to the police?"

Leo thought for a second. "I don't know. Finding that out wasn't exactly a high priority."

"Well it should have been. The only way you can catch him is if she goes to the police."

They were at the dorm and Leo knocked on the door. Shelia answered the door, but when she saw Darryl she came running into the hallway and into his arms. Leo left them alone and went to Piper, who was hugging herself into a tight ball on the couch.

Leo wordlessly sat down on the couch next to her, still cradling his knuckles. Piper sat up and looked at him. "Why did you leave? Where did you go?"

"I had 'words' with Kevin."

Piper flinched at Kevin's name, but said, "And these 'words' resulted in your swollen knuckles?" She grabbed his hand and looked at it. "I'll get some ice."

She came back with a small plastic baggie full of ice wrapped in a washcloth. She gently removed his hand and placed the ice bag on it. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you." Leo adjusted the ice so it rested on the knuckles and he could hold Piper's hand with his free one. He was thinking of what he told her earlier. "Piper…"

"No, Leo. Let me say something first. What you did today…it was more than I cold ever ask for. You listened to me and believed me without question. Nothing means more to me. You were brave enough to 'have words' with him today. Leo, I know on some level, I love you, I really do. But I don't know what to do. I feel so lost. When he r-raped me, he took something from me. I don't know if I'll ever be the same person I once was." She still couldn't bring herself to say Kevin's name.

Leo sat there silently, listening to her. "Piper, no one expecting you to be the same. Actually, I would be worried if you didn't change. I promise you we are going to get Kevin. You're not alone in this Piper. You have me, Shelia, and Darryl."

"I couldn't think of three other people I would rather have on my side."

Leo laid the ice bag aside. He placed his cold, swollen hand on her face. At first she recoiled from his touch, but she eventually she relaxed and leaned against his hand. Ever so slowly, Leo leaned into kiss her.

The kiss was sweet and innocent, almost like the first kiss they shared. But that sweetness and innocence was mauled by what had happened to Piper. She was no longer the sweet and innocent person she once was.

Images of the night of the rape ran through Piper's head and she broke away with a gasp. "Leo, I…"

"No, Piper, it's my fault. I shouldn't have pushed you into it."

"You didn't. I wanted it, but I keep seeing images of _that night_ running through my head. I can't make it stop."

Leo placed a hand on her face. "It's okay, really."

"No, Leo. Nothing's okay anymore."

There was no honest reply he could give.

Darryl and Shelia finally came back in the room. What they were doing out there, Piper didn't particularly want to know. She moved to the other end of the couch and held a pillow close. It was hard enough to deal with one person at a time, let alone three. She didn't know if she could handle another person right now.

"Piper, I'm sorry about what happened," Darryl said.

Piper didn't reply. She found a rather interesting spot on the carpet to stare at.

"I really think you should go to the police---"

"No!" She yelled, standing up walking behind the couch. Leo also stood up, startled by her sudden motion. "No police. He'll kill me. I shouldn't have even told you guys."

"Piper, the police can only protect you. They're the only ones who can catch Kevin."

"I said no!"

Darryl looked as if her were going to say something else, but Shelia put a hand on his chest to stop him. "Okay," he said with resignation.

"I'm going to lay down," Piper said abruptly and went into hr room.

Leo tried to follow but Shelia put a hand on his shoulder. "Let her go, Leo. None of us can help her now."

"That's what scares me the most," he said, dropping back down onto the couch. He leaned his head back and covered his face with his hands. "What do we do now?"

"Nothing," Shelia said and Leo looked at her. "It's up to Piper now. She'll let us know when she is ready make the next step. For now, we just have to be there when she needs us."

"I wish there was more I could do."

"You've done enough already. You even went and punched Kevin for her." Leo looked at her weirdly. "I got the details from Darryl."

"Oh."

"If you hadn't gone after him, I would have. I'm still tempted to, but it won't help her any."

Shelia punched his arm, not enough to hurt, but it stung. "Hey! What was that for?"

"That was for leaving and not telling Piper where you were going. She cried even harder after you left."

"Sorry about that. I was just so…I don't know. Shocked, angry, confused, they all apply. I could only think of getting even with him. How could anyone do something like that to another person?"

"I don't know," Shelia said softly, rubbing her arms as if trying to ward off a cold only she could feel.

Darryl put his arms around her. "Are you going to be okay tonight?"

Shelia leaned into him. "I don't know."

"I would love that, but I don't know if Kim will be back tonight. Now that I think of it, is it just a coincidence that she didn't sleep here last night?"

"Who knows where she was. She was probably with her boyfriend," Darryl said. After a few moments, he added, "Kevin!"

"Exactly."

"I'm lost. What are you talking about?" Leo asked.

But Darryl and Shelia ignored him, looking at each other. "Kim was at that party the night Kevin raped Piper," Shelia started.

"So she had to know something was going on," Darryl finished.

"There is no way Kim would let her boyfriend walk off with another girl, let alone Piper."

Leo finally caught on to the conversation. "Kim knew he was going to do something, didn't she?"

Darryl and Shelia nodded in unison. "She had to."

Leo stood up. "I'm going to murder that…"

Shelia pulled him back down to the couch. "You are going to do no such thing. Piper needs you now. You're going to be no use to her if you get arrested for assault."

"I was thinking a little farther than assault…"

"Leo, you couldn't kill her if you tried. You just don't have it in you."

"You're right. But I can't sit here and do nothing."

"Fine. Go check on Piper than. Make sure she's okay."

Leo stood up and went to Piper's room and gently knocked on the door. Piper answered and let him in.

Shelia looked at Darryl. "What are we going to do?"

"I still think we should go to the police."

Shelia groaned. "Darryl, we've discussed this. We're not going to the police unless Piper agrees to."

Darryl laid Shelia's head on his lap. As he gently stroked her hair, he thought, b_ut what if the police come to her_?


	12. Intrusions

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Chapter 12: Intrusions **

Leo followed Piper into her room. He gently closed the door as she laid down on her bed, curling into the fetal position.

They didn't say anything. There wasn't anything to be said. Leo just sat in the chair and watched her until her breathing became even. Thinking she was asleep, he stood up and lightly kissed her forehead, not wanting to wake her. He turned to leave the room when he heard her voice.

"Don't go."

Leo turned around to find Piper's large brown eyes looking back at her. "Alright," he said hoarsely and brought the chair closer to the bed. Piper was still curled in the fetal position and held his hand as she closed her eyes. Leo held her hand until he himself fell asleep.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Leo awoke in unfamiliar surroundings. He was sitting in a chair, but the top half of his body was slumped over a bed. It took him a few seconds to realize it was Piper's bed.

The events of the previous night came rushing back. Kevin had raped Piper. Damn him.

Leo heard moaning coming from the bed. It was Piper, twisting and turning restlessly in her sleep. "No, please don't."

"Shh, it's okay, Piper. It's just me."

But his soft cajoling seemed to have no effect on her. If anything, it seemed to disturb her sleep more.

"No! Please, don't!" she cried out, tears streaming down her face. She was twisting and turning so much the sheets were tangled up in a ball at the end of the bed.

Leo placed a hand on Piper's sweaty forehead. She felt slightly warm to him, but he didn't know if it was from a fever or from her thrashing around. Her shouts turned into whimpers that made Leo feel had if he had been stabbed in the heart. The whimpers were more disconcerting than her shouts.

Leo kept gently talking to her and brushing her hair away from her face until she settled down. With one last shout of, "No, please, don't!" Piper opened her large brown eyes and looked at Leo.

She quickly extracted herself from his grasp and curled up by the headboard. She was breathing heavily and Leo was afraid she might hyperventilate. She was still crying and Leo whished there was something more he could do for her.

"Piper, what was it?"

Piper just shook her head.

"Piper, please, just talk to me."

"I don't want to talk about it."

It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to him, it was that she didn't think she could. The nightmare had been horrible. It had been like reliving the night Kevin raped her. But the harder she tried to fight back, the more excited it made him seem.

"Alright," Leo said, letting the subject drop.

"Thanks for staying last night," she told him, getting off the bed.

"No problem." He followed her out to the living room where Darryl and Shelia were asleep on the couch.

When Piper saw them like this, she wanted to cry. Leo, Shelia, and Darryl had been her for her when she needed them the most, even though she hadn't asked.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Piper had managed to convince Leo and Darryl to leave the dorm room and that she would be fine alone with Shelia.

Leo said he was going to go to his morning class and would be back soon.

Darryl, on the other hand, told Shelia he was going 'help a friend'. That was true, but it wasn't what Shelia thought.

At noon, he entered to police station.

He waited for about twenty minutes until an officer, Mike Williams, approached him. "I hear you need to talk to an officer?"

"Yes."

"About what?"

"My friend was raped."

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Shelia was in the shower and Piper was sitting on the couch when the front door opened and Kim and Kevin walked into the dorm.

Piper looked up and stared into the eyes of her rapist. Her breathing immediately began to quicken and Piper felt her chest constricting.

Kevin took a step towards her and she shot off the couch and backed against the wall. It was just like that night. She was alone and defenseless, pressed against the wall. He was probably here to kill her. He knew she told and now he was going to kill her.

Kevin took another step towards her and Piper whimpered, as though she were in pain. She slid down the wall and covered her face as if she were expected him to begin hitting her any moment. All she could do was quietly whisper, "No, please, don't."

Kim laughed at her reaction and Kevin said, "Aw, Piper, why are you afraid?"

Piper just whimpered some more.

Kevin laughed and approached her further. "You talked, Piper. What did I say would happen if you talked?"

Piper was sure he was going to kill her. She could tell from his voice. He was going to hurt her.

And he just may have if Shelia hadn't come out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair. "Piper, I was…" She looked up and saw Kevin standing near by. "What the hell are you doing here! Get out!"

"You can't talk to him like that. He's _my_ boyfriend and I invited him here."

Shelia threw down her towel and got in Kim's face. "You know what he did to her."

"What are you talking about," Kim asked, placing a hand on Shelia's chest to make her back up.

"Don't play innocent. You know what I'm talking about."

"No, I don't," she said, feigning innocence.

"He raped her and you know it!" Shelia screamed at her.

Kim gave out a small laugh. "Yeah right. Who would want to rape _her_?" Kim said, the disgust apparent in her voice as she said that last word.

"You know what happened. You know what he did to her that night at the party."

"How could he have done anything to her? He was with _me_ the whole night."

"No he wasn't."

"Even so, who are people going to believe, me, Kevin, and our large group of friends, or you, Leo, Darryl, and Piper who won't talk?"

Shelia couldn't think of a reply. Kim was right. She, Darryl, Leo, and Piper didn't really make a believable team against Kim and her mini army.

"Doesn't matter," Kevin said. "Piper wouldn't dare talk to the police, would you?"

Piper stood up and ran into her room, slamming the door behind her.

"See, I told you."

Kevin put his arm around Kim and said, "Let's go."

Shelia just watched, astounded. How could they both act so calm? Because she sure as hell couldn't act calmly.

It took all of her self-will not to go after Kevin and try to choke him to death. She would do Piper no good if she attacked him now. Kevin and Kim walked out the door, hand in hand.

Shelia took a deep breath to calm herself. She calmly walked to Piper's door and softly knocked.

She received no reply.

"Piper, honey, they're gone. You can come out now." There still was no reply. Shelia sighed, knowing it was going to be a while before she got Piper out of that room. It was going to be a long day. "Kevin's gone and he's not going to come back." Shelia didn't believe that even as she said it. He would be back. There was no doubt in her mind.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Piper hid in the corner of her room, trying to control her breathing. But it was no use. She tried to stop her tears, but they just kept coming. The harder she cried, the tighter her chest became and the hard it was to breathe.

She could hear Shelia knocking on the door, but she ignored her. She should have never told anybody. Kevin would kill her. She knew there was no escape from him.

Memories of the rape flashed through her mind. Every time Piper closed her eyes she was Kevin on top of her, forcing her down.

The memories made her cry harder and in turn made her breathing more difficult.

Black spots were beginning to dance in front of her eyes and she began to gasp for breath.

_Breath_, she coached herself. _Breath_.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Leo softly whistled as he walked up to Piper's dorm, backpack slung over his shoulder. He went to all his classes and even managed to get notes from some of Piper's from a couple of his friends. She was already starting to fall behind as it was. Who knew when she would be ready to go back?

Leo let himself into the dorm and set his book bag down by the door. The first thing he saw was Shelia, trying to coax Piper out of her room. Leo walked over to her, wondering what happened.

"What happened?"

Shelia looked at him, tears in her eyes. "Kevin showed up her earlier. Scared Piper so bad she hid in her room."

Leo felt anger settling over his body. "I'm going to get his ass…"

"Later, Leo. Right now, we need to find out if Piper is okay."

"Did you try picking the lock?"

"Yeah. She has a chair or something blocking the door."

Leo pressed his ear to the door. He could hear crying, but scarier than that, he could hear Piper gasping for breath. "Piper!" he cried, banging on the door. "Open the door, damn it!"

Leo could hear Piper's gasping getting louder so he pressed all his weight against the door and rammed his shoulder repeatedly into it until the chair blocking the door gave way.

Leo rushed into the room and went to the floor by Piper's side. She was lying flat on her back, gasping for breath. Her eyes were staring off into the ceiling, as if in a trance.

"Piper!" He shook her shoulders. "Calm down!"

Piper seemed to snap out trance-like state and her breathing began to calm. She sat up, but she moved out of Leo and Sheila's grasp. Don't touch me!" she yelled when Leo reached for her.

"Piper, please. I just want to help. Talk to me."

"No one can help me now."

"That's not true," a voice said from the doorway.

Piper's heart jumped in fear. She cowered against the wall, trying to make herself appear as small as possible.

"Who the hell are you?" Leo asked.

"Detective Mike Richards," the five-foot-nine black man replied as he flashed a badge. "I'm with the Evansville police."

Shelia and Leo looked at each other then at Piper. "What do you want?"

"I'm here about a rape."

"Who told you?"

"I did," Darryl said, stepping into the room.

Shelia looked at him, hurt in her eyes. "How could you?"

"It's what's best for Piper."

"And who are you to decide that?"

"With all do respect, Miss, you should have came to the police as soon as you found out. Rape is a time sensitive matter. The evidence fades with time. And as far as I understand, it's going to be damned near impossible now to catch this guy. Now, Miss Halliwell, I need you to tell me what happened in detail."

Piper was silent.

"Miss Halliwell?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"The only way to catch a rapist is if the victim talks…"

"Stop treating me like an object! My name is Piper, not 'victim'. And if you can't figure what happens during a rape, you aren't a very good cop are you?"

Leo was surprised at the level of anger she let out. "Piper, calm down…"

"No, damn it, I will _not_ calm down! I am sick and tired of this!"

Mike looked unfazed. "When I said details, I meant what happened before and after the rape."

Piper took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. I'm only going to tell you this once."

In great detail and in a soft voice, she relived the night of the rape. She told them about everything form getting invited to the party, to Kim acting differently, to running home and showering, and to how Kevin was here not that long ago.

Before she ended her story, everyone but Mike had tears in their eyes. At one point Shelia was crying so hard she covered her face. Darryl went to her and tried to out his arms around her, but she moved out of his reach, upset that he betrayed her trust.

"I never should have gone upstairs with him," Piper said, finishing her story. "If I hadn't, none of this would have ever happened."

"Miss Halliwell---"

"Piper."

"Piper, this is not your fault. Rape is not about sex; it's about violence, the need to control. What happened was not your fault. You had no control over what happened."

Piper nodded.

"I'm going to get going now. I'll probably want to talk to you again."

"Okay."

Before he left, he took a picture of the bruises around her neck.

After Mike left, Darryl approached Piper. "I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not. I know I did the right thing."

Piper nodded her head. She wasn't mad at him, but she didn't appreciate that he went against her wishes. "I'm going to bed."

Leo followed her into her bedroom. She laid down on the bed, and he laid next to her, her small body spooned against his larger one. He gently rubbed her arm back and kissed her hair. Eventually, Piper hugged his arm close, as if trying to ward someone off. She gave a shiver and he pulled the covers over them. And there he laid all night, protecting Piper from an invisible foe.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

After Leo and Piper went into the bedroom, Darryl and Shelia just stood there, looking at one another. Finally, Shelia walked to the door and held it open. Still, they said nothing to each other.

"Shelia, I know your mad at me, but what I did was best for Piper…"

"That's not your decision."

"Well, someone had to make the decision for her."

"It shouldn't have been you."

"Please, Shelia, forgive me. Are we alright?"

Shelia opened the door wider. "We are far from alright."

With a sad look of remorse, Darryl stepped through the door, but turned to look at Shelia.

She closed the door in his face.

Dejected, he slowly made his way back to the dorm.

Shelia leaned against the door and slid to the floor. There she sat and cried.


End file.
